#70 - Peace and Universal Love

Today we know of atoms, quarks, neutrinos, supernova, and black holes. One might feel that the dogmatic beliefs in a spiritual reality led to tribal violence and superstitious beliefs. Many faiths can, if approached dogmatically with appeals to positions of authority. But I had the opportunity to speak to a very wise and very kind woman recently. When I expressed appreciation for the qualities of universal lovingkindness Christian Science espouses and the benefits of placing spiritual principles over the material world, she responded by proclaiming with force, “And it’s true!”

The reason that she emphasized her need for this dominant truth is that if they are not true but only beneficial beliefs then it seems like it is just a low-to-medium stakes game, from her perspective. In the trials that life provides in various degrees, from a stubbed toe to Job, it may be easier to slip into the belief if it is just a game as well, to avoid the stress of failure. The proof that has brought me to the unity of all, the interconnected nature of existence, and the spiritual reality arises from the expansion from the Big Bang in my mind. This includes all elements degrading from hydrogen, helium, and a little lithium, the preponderance of space between atoms due to the electron cloud, and Isaac Newton’s Law of Inertia dictates that all movement or creation have a source, even if that source is as small as a butterfly flapping its wings. As such, the electromagnetic force, speed of light, strong and weak nuclear forces, gravity, energy, and spacetime require something outside of them to come to fruition. Further, if any of these were slightly different then either the universe would have crunched before life developed, expanded too rapidly, the Earth would freeze or burn up, or any other manner of universal developments would have occurred such as to make sentient life even more rare in the (on average) inhospitable cosmos.

Both Tibetan Buddhism and Christian science see life as a blessing, particularly if the mind can be freed from self-centered materialist attachment. Evil and pain is a corruption, misinterpretation, or selfishly sourced. My coauthor frequently says that difficulties in life are opportunities to learn and change perspective. He would know very well. They can be moments to learn to appreciate the time or memories we have with our loved ones, moments to rest and read, periods explore what we truly need to feed ourselves and our soul, or some other possibility.

I expect that everyone has difficulty keeping this detached mindset. Through my perception of life I am trapped in samsara, the cycle of suffering. It is only occasionally that anyone lives fully in Christ consciousness or nirvana. If we all attempt to keep this mindset, perhaps that is the way the Kingdom of Heaven comes on earth. Just remember that it would be better if all were loved and had peace, because then others may not be such jerks in the future. At the same time, it is important to support yourself and your society because it supports your extended progeny, and thus survival beyond your limited lifespan. Investing time, energy, and resources to make the future environment as hospitable as possible ensures that our future has the fullest potential it can rise to.

If the greediest mindset can be expanded to civilizations and states, then I believe that the cancerous focus on profit will be kept and supported in our ecosystem instead of resisted to clear cut our collective future for individual benefits that may only last one lifetime. Dumping plastics which degrade into the belly of the fish we eat is no longer worth the cheaper storage containers and disposal processes, but it makes a lot of money for waste disposal plants that don't put money into research of bacterial baths which consume plastic. Instead passing love to other species and the planet we all live on creates a world that will last and blossom into generations of progeny, whether of our own or just tangentially connected in our community.

Given the tendency to slip into a selfish perspective, whether that is broadened into familial ties, nationalism, or ethnic tribal ties, I am curious what will happen should homo sapiens come into clear contact with extraterrestrial sources of the UAP phenomena the US military has reported in the halls of Congress. This fearful behavior is a source of separation and is not conducive to sharing that seems beyond our current ability. We have difficulty seeing potential for life in ways that are not carbon based and bipedal. Astrophages of Hail Mary or tardigrades of material reality be damned, never mind the 95% unexplored oceans of Earth and the 100% unexplored moon of Titan. If approached with love and effort is shared, perhaps we can advance to heavenly heights. “Many hands make light the work,” after all.

Most would accept violence against another in certain situations, such as self-defense. I too would do so. The Dalai Lama has not however, saying that Tibetan movements toward independent free elections must not rise to violence. Jesus Christ also says to turn the other cheek, and to forgive a brother 70 times 7. To justify violence, each side may claim to be acting in legitimate self defense even if they engage in the deterrent of a preventative strike. As mirroring is a natural human behavior, I would expect this behavior to beget more violence.

By loving each other we can take more full advantage of the talents and abilities of the planet. By engaging with peace, we can work to build as opposed to destroy. No man is an island unto himself, as the aphorism goes. If we focus on our similarities more than differences perhaps we can rise to a Type 1 civilization on the Kardashev scale and bring the beauty of universal love to the rest of the mind of God.

• SG